Spending time in nature and in natural light can improve mood and reduce stress and depression. Being physically active produces similar benefits and often relaxes and encourages people. Outdoor exercise stimulates all five senses in a way that indoor activities can't. Both physical activity and outdoor environments reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
Spending time exercising in a park leads to an increase in positive moods and a reduction in levels of cortisol, a hormone released when the body experiences stress. Similarly, greater access to green spaces for activities such as walking decreases stress, especially for children, according to Cornell University environmental psychologist Nancy Wells. Just being in nature reduces anger, fear and stress and increases happiness. And not only does it help emotionally, but health research has found that exposure to nature lowers blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension and the production of stress hormones.
Harvard Health Publishing notes that physical activity helps reduce stress and prevents some cases of depression. Exercise reduces anxiety, and consistent activity provides more relief for anxiety and depression. Whether it's outdoor photography, hiking, fishing, kayaking, or higher-intensity sports such as skiing, ice climbing, rock climbing, or mountain biking, however, there are many things you can do outdoors. After that, we'll discuss why it's important to be outdoors and how to get your dose of the best of the outdoors, even when you're busy or have geographical difficulties when it comes to proximity to the world's most illustrious outdoor terrain.
The good news for outdoor enthusiasts and people reluctant to go to the gym is that moderate-intensity exercise, such as hiking or cycling, can be as effective in reducing the risk of high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes as more dynamic and strenuous outdoor activities. Ultimately, the greatest mental health benefit of outdoor activity is the simple pleasure of having fun outdoors. In addition, since many benefits can be achieved simultaneously, outdoor sports not only benefit practitioners in multiple ways, but, from the point of view of the person taking decisions, investments in outdoor sports are considered to be very profitable.
